HUSBAND and wife duo Brett and Rennie Sparks have spent more than 20 years delighting music lovers with their Gothic-edged country songs.

And next week the duo - better known as The Handsome Family - will be in Manchester as part of a European tour.

Many people’s first exposure to their music came through the cult TV series True Detective - the song Far From Any Road was the theme tune for the first series.

“We are thankful for that,” said Rennie. “It’s the way that a lot of people found us.

“I would have said yes even if it was a crappy cop show but it turned out to be a really good show.”

Rennie and Brett work in a very distinct way with Brett writing the music and Rennie contributing all the words.

“We just really like songs,” said Rennie. “Songs are a really powerful art form and can’t be replaced by something else.

“We are just trying to keep that beautiful art form alive in our own way. Songs can tell great stories and give you a little universe to live in which feels real. In a song you can live a different life for s short space of time.”

With lyrics which have distinct narratives and central characters it is no surprise that Rennie has also written a number of short stories.

“I always find the longer it is the less interesting it gets to me,” she said. “I enjoy other people’s long stories but for my own, I enjoy it when they are short and mysterious and they have some space in there for people to add their own thoughts into it.”

For next week’s show at the Royal Northern College of Music, the Handsome Family will be playing songs from their most recent album, Unseen, which was released last year.

“We haven’t really toured in the UK since we put the album out so we’re happy to be bringing those songs to folks there,” said Rennie. “We’re going to have a big fancy band with us - well, there will be four people which for us is pretty big.

“Brett finds that when someone else is playing and taking care of the music more, he can concentrate on singing and that’s what I think gives him the most pleasure.

“There is something mysterious about singing. I’ve learned to sing but nothing like him. It reveals a lot about people when they sing. It’s a bigger part of you than you’d like to admit, When you sing it reveals it all.”

The Handsome Family’s unique sound has earned them a certain cult status and although deeply based in American roots music, it has won them a major following in the UK.

“It’s an amazing feeling to be understood by people far away.” said Rennie. “It seems the further away we go, the more American people think we are. In America people seem to think that we’re just strange!”

Rennie and Brett’s close relationship is obvious.

“It’s a very romantic feeling to sing a harmony with someone you love - I recommend it,” she laughed.

“But we are happy with what we do and get a lot of pleasure from it. Mostly we’re just happy to finish things and are grateful for what we can accomplish.

“We do what we can do and just hope people respond to it. The basic rule is if it feels exciting to you, then hopefully others will find it exciting too.

“We don’t take anything for granted. It still feels miraculous to have career in music that goes beyond a minute.”

The Handsome Family with support Courtney Marie Andrews, Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, Wednesday, February 22. Details from 0161 907 5555